2 May 2012 Last updated at 05:04 ET

Slovenia profile

Slovenia is a small country in Central Europe, but contains within its borders Alpine mountains, thick forests, historic cities and a short Adriatic coastline, It initially enjoyed substantial economic and political stability after gaining independence from Yugoslavia.

Slovenia was the first former Yugoslav republic to join the European Union, in May 2004 - a few months after joining Nato.

Unlike Croatia or Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia was almost bloodless.

The move was undoubtedly aided by Western European recognition of the Slovenes' aspirations and the low proportion of other ethnic groups in the country.

Ljubljana's castle overlooks the capital's old town

At a glance

Politics: PM Janez Jansa leads a centre-right coalition. He says tackling economic difficulties is a priority
Economy: Slovenia's export-dependent economy was badly hit in the global economic crisis. The government has mooted spending cuts to balance public finances
International: Slovenia joined the EU and Nato in 2004, and the eurozone in 2007. There is a dispute with Croatia over an area of land and sea in the northern Adriatic

Country profiles complied by BBC Monitoring

Slovenia had always been the most prosperous region of the former Yugoslavia and found the transition from a state economy to the free market easier than most.

On 1 January 2007, it became the first of the new EU member states to join the eurozone. A year later, it became the first former communist state to take on the EU presidency.

Politically, Slovenia was the most liberal republic within Yugoslavia. Throughout the 1980s there was pressure from Slovenia for greater political freedom and pluralism in the federation.

This reputation was tarnished after independence when thousands of nationals of other former Yugoslav republics were removed from population records and lost residency rights.

Parliament later passed a bill restoring their citizenship but a referendum held shortly before EU entry in 2004 overturned it by an overwhelming margin. Human rights groups expressed dismay at the move which embarrassed the leadership as it prepared to celebrate EU membership.

Slovenia's relations with Croatia have long been strained on account of a rumbling dispute over sea and land borders dating back to the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Slovenia dropped its opposition to Croatia's joining Nato in March 2009, but continued to block its neighbour's EU membership bid for a further eight months - only agreeing to lift the veto after a deal on the Piran border dispute in November 2009.